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Match Ratings Ratings vs Dortmund

MOTM

  • Lloris

    Votes: 1 0.2%
  • Toby

    Votes: 29 6.9%
  • Sanchez

    Votes: 6 1.4%
  • Verts

    Votes: 61 14.4%
  • Aurier

    Votes: 34 8.0%
  • Dier

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Dembele

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Davies

    Votes: 33 7.8%
  • Eriksen

    Votes: 3 0.7%
  • Son

    Votes: 5 1.2%
  • Kane

    Votes: 251 59.3%
  • Sissoko

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Llorente

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    423

LexingtonSpurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2013
13,456
39,042
Hope they learn a lot from that second half. No need to be that defensive in the first half.
I think it played out well - and was by design - absorb their pressure and beat their defenders on the counter in the first half.

In the second half, it looked like Dortmund had become exhausted (bigger pitch maybe?) - and that made it easier to keep possession.
 

Ossie85

Rio de la Plata
Aug 2, 2008
3,916
13,215
I think it played out well - and was by design - absorb their pressure and beat their defenders on the counter in the first half.

In the second half, it looked like Dortmund had become exhausted (bigger pitch maybe?) - and that made it easier to keep possession.

Exactly. Poch told them to play like that. The lack of pressing was an obvious indicator
 

jonnyp

Well-Known Member
Jun 11, 2006
7,149
9,628
I think it played out well - and was by design - absorb their pressure and beat their defenders on the counter in the first half.

In the second half, it looked like Dortmund had become exhausted (bigger pitch maybe?) - and that made it easier to keep possession.

We rode our luck in that first half. I really hope it's not a tactic we will employ regularly. Yes they tired but we also stood a bit higher and pressed a bit better. I think it was the occasion and scoring early that probably led to that first half
 

LexingtonSpurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2013
13,456
39,042
We rode our luck in that first half. I really hope it's not a tactic we will employ regularly. Yes they tired but we also stood a bit higher and pressed a bit better.
I think it works against teams that want to press - like Liverpool. We won't play that way against Swansea.
 

jonnyp

Well-Known Member
Jun 11, 2006
7,149
9,628
Your concern........

...is answered!

Don't really agree as I stated earlier. If we play like the second half yes (still had less possession than Dortmund in the second but far more control) but that first half is not the way to go IMO.

I think the occasion and early goal led to us being that defensive those first 45. And it certainly didn't help Dembele was way off the pace and Eriksen losing possession way to much. Both much improved in the second which helped us gain more control in the middle and helping us push up. I don't believe for a second Poch was happy in that first half.
 

Mr Pink

SC Supporter
Aug 25, 2010
54,776
99,340
A lot of very good performances tonight. CBs were excellent - particularly Vertonghen , as were both full backs, great debut for Aurier, beast of a player.

Eriksen purred second half, and Son was electric on the break, a very good showing from him tonight, probably his best over all performance in a Spurs shirt for me.

But there is no way you can look past Kane. An uber performance from an uber forward.

Two goals, one taken with powerful precision, work rate that looked tiring just watching it and one fabulous pass first half that released Son. His all round game is so good, I'm not sure there is a more complete forward around at the moment.

As Jenas said, or wanted to say, he grabbed that game by the absolute bollox.
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
21,886
32,513
Very intense game for the most part. For most of the first hour we were having to fight off the back foot. Dortmund are a slicker outfit than us in some aspects of the game, and even more aggressive a team than we are - positioning, pressing, movement of the ball etc, and really pushed us back and had the squeeze on. It's not what I want to see, I'd much rather see us dominating the ball and winning a battle against a team with a similar outlook, I think that's the ultimate level to get to, but I'm pragmatic enough to accept that we're not yet at that level (yet) and that sometimes you have to accept this and take it, getting people in behind the ball and being disciplined.

And to be fair, whilst you do have to ride your luck a bit with this approach (and we did, helped by the officials, some last ditch scrambling, and the odd misstep/ball just evading the attackers path) we on the whole defended resolutely, and if we needed to scramble we did.

However we did a very efficient job of realising the counter attack, and getting at Dortmund's weak spot, further exposed by their aggressive, brave, and probably reckless approach. Each time the ball was recovered we seemed to attempt to spring the counter quicker and quicker, and were able to counter punch very effectively and efficiently.

I thought the game was very much in the balance until we struck the killer blow to make it 3-1. At that point you could see they lost a bit of the edge to their play and tailed off. Suddenly it was a bit easier, we enjoyed a bit more of the ball, there was more space between the lines, and saw out the game pretty comfortably. Only slightly marred by the soft red card at the end.

Overall an uncomfortable but quite interesting watch. We went away/were forced away from our usual approach, but managed to guts it out, adapt effectively, and come away with a very big win on paper looking at the group. Not a bad nights work.

Lloris - Solid game. Quick off his line a few times, and made a good save in the second half.

Alderweireld - A couple of minor moments aside, good game.

Sanchez - Seemed to almost be man marking Aubemayang at times. Wasn't always perfect, there were a few times he had to be helped out by his central defensive partners, but for someone new to the team you could have no complaints really.

Vertonghen - Made a crucial clearance in the first half. I thought he had an unbelievable second half, popping up absolutely everywhere, just a shame about the red card.

Aurier - A few minor defensive issues at times, but slotted in pretty impressively on debut. A little less pace than Walker but what looks like a considerable amount more footballing awareness and appreciation. And can use both feet, that novel concept.

Davies - Decent game, particularly second half.

Dier - Ok.

Dembele - Was clinging on for dear life against the zippy nature of the Dortmund phase play. Not absolutely awful, but he didn't always lol comfortable. Switched off for the goal conceded though it has to be said.

Eriksen - I thought, much like at the weekend, he started a little slowly both with and without the ball. But he soon got into it and as well as putting in a shift was dull of his usual class touches and setting off our counter attacks - my favourite was the cushioned header through ball for Kane. Looked so simple but it wasn't.

Son - Worked pretty hard, and made some terrific runs. Maybe a little wasteful, but scored a nice opening goal.

Kane - So far his all round game is improved on last year. Real menace and handful for defenders, and the goals are still there. Led the line very well on the whole.

Subs:
Sissoko - Sissoko.
Llorente - n/a.
 

Pellshek

Well-Known Member
Dec 30, 2015
2,509
7,289
++: Kane

+: The Back 5

<>: Lloris, Dier, Son, Eriksen

-: Dembele

--: n/a

....

Special mention for Sanchez. Astonishing that in his second game, he played in between two of the best CB's in Europe, and held is own. Yes, he got caught under a few high balls tonight, flies in occasionally, and was out of position more than once, but these two games have been an exceptional start by him.
 

dricha1

Well-Known Member
Jul 26, 2005
1,311
2,579
Mature performance.

Mature from the players and mature from the manager. Usual gripe about slow subs still apply. Definitely think Poch has learnt from teams who try to outpress us and I'm hopeful of a better showing against a Liverpool like team.

Kane Motm with Davies a very close second (Rose will need to work hard to get back in team) whole defence were excellent, Dembele, dier and Eriksen grew as game wore on.

Felt like a proper game that.
 

doctor stefan Freud

the tired tread of sad biology
Sep 2, 2013
15,170
72,169
Aurier MotM for me, purely because that's an incredible way to make your debut. Pace, energy, creativity, attitude. What a signing!

Could easily have been a number of other players for MotM of course. Stunning team performance in the end.
Aurier and Sanchez have played 3 games between them.
 

werty

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2005
25,074
26,310
Exactly. Poch told them to play like that. The lack of pressing was an obvious indicator
If he wanted us to play like that he wouldn't have changed things at half time and we would have played the same way in the second half.
 

agrdavidsfan

Ledley's Knee!
Aug 25, 2005
10,918
13,352
Lloris 8 - excellent off the line a few times good save from aubayemang

Aurier 9 - brilliant loved his arrogance we need that in our squad it's belief that he's better than his opponent the refusal to kick ball out then the tricks to Eriksen were awesome , btw that was just the start from him he's not fully match fit yet expect to see more of him going forward

Alderweireld 9 - some of his tackling was out of this world just when a player was through Toby would just come through with a perfect tackle he's honestly one of the best I have ever seen in a spurs shirt

Sanchez 7 - solid few shakey moments of hesitation but that's to be expected due to his age his pace was vital at times and aubayemang suddenly didn't seem that much of a threat

Vertonghen 9 - American commentator on my stream summed it up, "Vertonghen is like a man possessed here"

Davies 8 - brilliant at times love the way he's added an inside run to his game where he mixes it up and runs straight down the centre of the pitch

Dembele 6 - first half a 2 he couldn't cope with them second half a huge improvement

Dier 8 - solid done what he had to do some poor moments on the Ball although

Eriksen 8 - started slowly but then got into the game more and more until eventually he was controlling it! Such a clever player and his work without the ball goes unnoticed at times

Son 7 - he ran his heart out for us tonight and he has to be one of the most underrated players around he has another gear to add to his game I think.

Kane 9 - he's got potential to be our best ever he's an absolute talisman he carries on and he will have a statue built of him outside the new ground. He's incredible when he's in the mood he's unstoppable
 

Mr Pink

SC Supporter
Aug 25, 2010
54,776
99,340
If he wanted us to play like that he wouldn't have changed things at half time and we would have played the same way in the second half.

Dortmund were always going to be play that aggressive high press. We soaked it up and countered them very effectively.

Second they were always going to tire which Pock knew then was the time to press them back, and it worked a treat.
 
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